Timber railroad-tie



(No Model.) I

WITNESSES:

L., 0. INGERSOLL. TIMBER BAILROAD'TIE.

PatentedDeo. 11, 1894.

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UN OITED STATES:

LUMAN O. INGERSOLL, OF KEOKUK, IOWA.

TIMBER RAI LROAD-Tl E.

PATENT- OFFICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 530,778, dated December 11, 1 894.

Application filed May 31, 1894. saw No. 513.036. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LUMAN O. INGERSOLL, of

Keokuk, in the county of Lee and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Timber llailroad Ties, of

which the following is a full,.clear, and exact description. I

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which-- 1 Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating the application of my invention,-and Fig. 2 is a plan of the improved tie.

Like letters denote like parts in both the views. I

The object of my inventionis to provide a timber railroad tie that will be readily manufactured, and produced at less cost than metallic ties, while affording a high degree of safety against lateral displacement of the track.

To this end my invention consists in a particular formation of the tie which will be fully disclosed hereinafter, and specifically pointed out in the appended claim.

The tie A illustrated by the drawings is provided with plane parallel top and bottom surfaces, the end surfaces a being arranged essentially perpendicular to the bottom or at any suitable angle thereto. The whole tie consists of a single piece of wood.

My invention has especial reference to the formation of the side and top surfaces of the tie. The side surfaces are formed with portions 12 extending perpendicularly to the bottom, or approximately so, and inclined portions'spreading downward, as indicatedat c. The portions I) being arranged at a greater angle to the top or bottom than theportions c, shoulders 61 are formed between the said portions. In consequence of the provision of the above inclined portions the top surface of the tie consists of a central spine e running lengthwise ofthe tie, and enlargements or shoulders f projecting on-each side of'the said spine. The portions b of the side surfaces, and consequently, the enlarged portions f of the top surface, are placed at such a distance apart as will correspond to the width of the track, the rails B being adapted to rest on the said enlarged portions, as will be seen in Fig. 1. I Y i In practice the improved ties may be made from ordinary timber ties, by cutting out their lateral surfaces to form the inclined portions 0, while the other surfaces are left intact, except as far as the cutting of the lateral surfaces involves an alteration of the top surface.

It will be seen that the enlarged portions f form ample bases for the support and fastenings of the rails, as the said portions extend the full width'of the timber; also the full width of the bottom surface is preserved, so that the load that may rest upon the tie is distributed over a comparatively large surface of the ballast B. Furthermore, the shoulders d, being in intimate contact with the bal-' last packed between the ties, will effectively prevent endwise movement of. the ties, c. e., transverse displacement of the track, while by the provision of the inclined surfaces 0 and the essentially vertical portions 1) between them, the ties are enabled to better resist the A timber railroad tie, consisting of a single piece whose top surface is composed of a longitudinal spine and'enlargements projecting on each side thereof at such a distance as will correspond to the width of the track, while the side surfaces of the tie comprise ranged both interiorly and exteriorly of the said enlargements of the top surface, and portions of greater inclination relatively to the top surface of the tie than the said inclined portions and located between the inclined portions, whereby shoulders are formed on the side surfaces of .the tie, substantially as shown and described, and for the purpose set forth'. h v

I I LUMANQ, I'NGERSOLL. Witnesses: y

FRANK CLFIELD, J. O. PARROTT.

downwardly spreading inclined portions ar- 

